Field of the Invention
A grinding mill that utilizes mill stones that minimize the mechanical devices required to regulate the mill stones. A grinding mill which allows a hopper to quickly and easily be removed. A grinding mill that utilizes a new base to secure the motor and electrical components for easier assembly.
Prior Art
The invention relates to a grinding mill. A grinding mill is the exposure of a mechanical force to a grain to overcome the interior bonding forces of the grain. The mechanical force causes the grain to break and pulverizes the grain into small pieces or into flour. Grinding food serves several purposes such as increasing the flavor, the texture, and nutritional value of the food.
The concept of grinding or milling food particles dates to prehistoric humans. Currently, there are several different types of grinding mills available. One very popular method of grinding utilizes mill stones. Grain or other food is placed between the two milling heads. As the mill stones rotate, the grain is shredded into smaller particles. In some applications, only one mill stone is rotating while the other mill stone remains stationary.
Grinding mills that utilize mill stones have several limitations. To control the texture and size of the final grain or flour, the user must control the compression force between the mill stones. If the compression force between the mill stones is too weak, the mill stones will not apply enough force to the grain and will not achieve the desired final product. However, if the compression force between the mill stones is too great, the mill stones will be destroyed or wear prematurely. In addition, the milling heads may create excess noise and vibration. Therefore, the user must control the compression force between the mill stones.
Another limitation is that mill stones require frequent cleaning. The majority of mill stones are located in the center of the mill. Traditionally, it takes several mechanical steps to gain access to the mill stones.
Yet another limitation is the cost of manufacturing mills. Grinding mills have several mechanical and electrical parts. Generally, these parts are enclosed in the mill housing. Because users prefer the smallest mill, the size of the mill housing is diminutive. Historically, each part is placed individually inside the mill housing. Because of the limited space, excess time is required to carefully place each part. If the mill needs to be repaired, the user is required to move each part individually and then replace each part.
Several prior attempts strived to solve these limitations. These prior attempts generally required excessive mechanical parts which increased the cost of production and increased the failure rate of the mills.
Although the prior art did attempt to minimize the described limitations, the prior art did not resolve the limitation adequately. In spite of the previous efforts, there remains a need for a grinding mill to improve the grinding process and provide an easy way for the user to control the milling heads. There is a need to create a grinding mill that allows the user to quickly and easily gain access to the milling heads which is also easy to assemble and to repair.